We are a few days past winter solstice. The solstice is the shortest day, the least amount of sunlight. Every year as the solstice nears I am disconcerted at the rapid onset of nightfall. “Is it dark already”, I ask myself at 5PM. I feel cheated of sunlight by winter. Christmas is our resistance…
Year to year, I am drawn to the Christmas story. It is a simple well known tale. I re-imagine the story in terms of one more year of life experience. At this juncture I am interested in Matthews rendition of the story. (Matthew 1:18-2:23) The points of dissonance in the story speak to me,…
My last post was on the 7th. I reflected upon the nature of a common sore throat/head cold. Five days later I am able to write again. The illness was uncommon, something that at times I wondered if my now older body would overcome. With illness, there is one winner. The immune system is…
I suspected this was coming. Yesterday I felt abnormal tightness in my throat. Aspirin, two at a time were taken throughout the day. In a semi conscious mental fog around 5 AM I felt a persistent stab of pain. Well, it’s not the first time that I’ve had a sore throat. I was well…
There is more to say about the concert. The Pretenders fronted by vocalist, and guitar slinger Chrissie Hynde opened the evening at the United Center. Both Hynde and Nicks are strong women. Any artist with a catalog of acclaimed work is a strong individual. I have always been attracted by the personalities of strong…
Last night I attended a concert at the United Center. The Pretenders with Chrissie Hynde opened for Stevie Nicks. Nicks has been writing lyrics and performing her songs, album after album, since the early 1970s. Nicks is on tour with her band to reprise her songs written over a forty year career as a…
Ah, Jake and Elwood, so nice to see you again! I happened upon The Blues Brothers Movie last night. A few years have passed since my last viewing of the iconic film. Jake and Elwood are ex-cons. Jake is picked up by his brother Elwood outside of Joliete prison. They visit the Catholic orphanage…
Retrieved my copy of William Bradford’s History of Plymouth Colony. I periodically review it with fresh interest, as the years pass. Accrued life experience allows a richer and deeper interpretation of Bradford’s words. Yes, these were Englishmen, my ancestors by blood and by religious heritage. Their tale is similar to immigrant tales of our…
No, wait! For this story a title with more zip, more punch is needed. Here are some choices. I’ll let you the reader look these over and make a selection, after you have read the New York Times article. Y’all come on down! Winter comes early to Republican red-state-Texas Making promises you can’t keep…
How would I know Custer’s words? The battle between the US 7th Cavalry and the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes took place 140 years ago. I was born 140 years late to hear what if anything he might have said, had I been there. Additionally only Indians walked away from that fight alive. …
